Aster plant named ‘Yopeter the Third’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Aster  plant named ‘Yopeter the Third’, characterized by its uniform, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform and freely flowering habit; natural flowering season late September in the northern hemisphere; decorative-type inflorescences with light violet-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Aster hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yopeter the Third’.

Cross-reference to related applications: Aster Plant Named ‘Yomarie the Third’; Mark A. Smith, Applicant; U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/705,876.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aster plant, botanically known as Aster hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yopeter the Third’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Aster cultivars with uniform and rounded plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable and unique floret colors, and good garden performance.

The new Aster originated from an open-pollination in August, 2003, in Salinas, Calif. of the Aster hybrida cultivar Pixie Dark, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown Aster hybrida seedling selection, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Aster was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment Alva, Fla. in October, 2004. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, vigor and desirable ray floret color.

Asexual reproduction of the new Aster by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in December, 2004. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Aster are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yopeter the Third have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yopeter the Third’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yopeter the Third’ as a new and distinct potted Aster cultivar:

-   -   1. Uniform, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Natural flowering season late September in the nothern         hemisphere.     -   6. Decorative-type inflorescences with light violet-colored ray         florets.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Aster differ from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Pixie Dark, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster flower about two weeks later than         plants of the cultivar Pixie Dark when grown under natural         season conditions.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster and the cultivar Pixie Dark differ in         inflorescence form as plants of the cultivar Pixie Dark have         daisy-type inflorescences.     -   3. Plants of the new Aster flower more uniformly than plants of         the cultivar Pixie Dark.     -   4. Plants of the new Aster have larger inflorescences than         plants of the cultivar Pixie Dark.     -   5. Plants of the new Aster and the cultivar Pixie Dark differ in         ray floret color.

Plants of the new Aster differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Yomarie the Third in ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the Aster cultivar Milka, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,624. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Aster differed from plants of the cultivar Milka in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were shorter than plants of the         cultivar Milka.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster were fuller and more rounded than         plants of the cultivar Milka.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the Aster cultivar Victoria Fanny, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,360. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Aster differed from plants of the cultivar Victoria Fanny in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were smaller and more mounding than         plants of the cultivar Victoria Fanny.     -   2. Plants of the new Aster flowered about a few days later than         plants of the cultivar Victoria Fanny when grown under natural         season conditions.     -   3. Plants of the new Aster had smaller inflorescences than         plants of the cultivar Victoria Fanny.     -   4. Plants of the new Aster and the cultivar Victoria Fanny         differed in ray floret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Aster. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Aster.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yopeter the Third’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yopeter the Third’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in Pendleton, S.C. in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Aster production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 32° C. and night temperatures averaged 21° C. Rooted cuttings were planted in 20 cm-containers, exposed to natural season conditions. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were about three months old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Aster hybrida cultivar Yopeter the Third. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Aster hybrida cultivar Pixie Dark,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown Aster hybrida seedling             selection, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten days at temperatures of             about 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 16 to 18 days at             temperatures of about 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type potted Aster. Upright             with lateral branches somewhat outwardly spreading; inverted             triangle with uniformly mounded crown. Strong and freely             branching growth habit with about 12 to 14 primary lateral             branches each with numerous secondary and tertiary branches;             dense and full plants. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 29 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 38 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 18 cm. Diameter: About             2.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 147A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 2.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 4 mm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Clasping.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 147A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to             147A; venation, 147B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:             Close to 147B; venation, 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above and beyond the foliage. Disk and ray florets             arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescence not             fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in late September in the Northern Hemisphere. Inflorescences             persistent. Inflorescences last about five weeks on the             plant.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about 50             inflorescences develop per lateral stem.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About             6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 84C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 2.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.7 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1 mm; inconspicuous.             Receptacle height: About 7 mm. Receptacle diameter: About             1.1 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About 3.5 mm.             Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute. Base: Acute to attenuate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous, satiny. Orientation: Initially upright, then about             90° from vertical or perpendicular to peduncle; apices             reflexing with development. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 344 arranged in about 18 whorls. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Close to 85A. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 85C. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 85A; color becoming closer to 85D with development.             Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 85B; color becoming             closer to 85D with development.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Shape: Tubular. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About 2 mm.             Width: Less than 1 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About eight or ten. Color, immature and             mature: Close to 155A.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 60             arranged in about 14 whorls. Length: About 6 mm. Width:             About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 4.7 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 3.2 cm. Diameter (first peduncle): About             1 mm. Angle: Upright to about 30° to 45° from vertical.             Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;             longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 147A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil length: About             5 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 157A.             Style length: About 2.5 mm. Style color: Close to 157C.             Ovary color: Close to 145C.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Asters has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Aster have been observed to be     rain and wind tolerant and to tolerate temperatures from 2° C. to     about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Aster plant named ‘Yopeter the Third’ as illustrated and described. 